Author Archives: Aaron Berger

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London-based artist Chloe Early works primarily in oil, creating paintings that set themes of “love, beauty, and innocence” against “worldly symbols of agression” -bombs, bullets, urban development, etc. And we’re talking right up against each other. Subjects as disparate as weapons and flowers seamlessly come together as one to create a kind of informal pattern. Missiles, engines, and guns -harsh, metallic things- spiral away from lovers and graceful figures. In creating such a sharp contrast of subject matter, Early captures an elusive, sublime moment. That perfect, last second of beauty before everything falls to shit. That enormous show of strength in the midst of destruction and decay. More paintings after the jump.

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As part of our ongoing partnership with Feature Shoot, Beautiful/Decay is sharing Alison Zavos’ article on F. & D. Cartier.

Husband-and-wife duo, F. & D. Cartier started working together in 1998. They are well known for their pink-hued photograms—cameraless photographs made by placing personal objects, in this case feminine fashion items, in contact with a black-and-white photosensitive paper surface. The result are these sexy and dreamy images which can be seen in their book Roses.

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Illustrator/Photographer/Filmmaker Matt Mahurin has published illustrations in Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, The New York Time, and more. He’s compiled photo essays on the homeless, people infected with HIV/AIDS, the Texas prison system, and more. He’s directed music videos for artists like Tom Waits, R.E.M., Metallica, David Byrne, and MORE. That word- “more”, comes to mind a lot when going through Mahurin’s work. He just seems to be doing everything at once. And he does it so well. I’m always astounded when I come across a multidisciplinary artist making work in each of his or her chosen platforms that’s just as good, if not better than that of artists who choose to focus in only one area of practice. I mean it’s just not fair. Check out more of Mahurin’s widely varied projects after the jump.

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London-based illustrator Ricardo Fumanal creates tight graphite drawings that combine many elements to create an almost collage-like effect. The drawings might have come off as cold and without human touch if it hadn’t been for Fumanal’s skill in capturing the expressions of his subects. And then again, if you get so good at rendering in graphite that people find it hard to see a human touch in the first place, maybe that’s not such a bad thing. See more of the artist’s work after the jump.

Brooklyn via Russia artist Stanislav Ginzburg‘s Curiophyla is a series of staged photographs of original sculpture placed within specific, relevant mise en scène environs. The sculptures, beautiful references to cellular anatomy that incorporate emotionally charged vintage (and faux-vintage) tintype portraiture, take on a unique appeal when positioned amongst their ethereal settings. The overall aesthetic perfectly captures an elemental, organic feel (moss, insects, blood, etc.), while the photographic elements within the works offer a distinctly human connection. By reducing things to their most basic, cellular level, Ginzburg illustrates a deep connection between past and present. So beautiful.

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Kevin Champeny creates mosaics using individually cast urethane figures and random objects like hot wheels cars (above). Using small, colored fish, candy, flowers, etc., He’s done everything from self-portraits, to skulls, to roses. Looks painstaking as hell but the results are definitely worth it. It’d be cool to see some of these before they were assembled- just a pile of plastic. Click through to see more. (via)

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Brighton-based artist Jake Wood-Evans‘ classical influences are readily apparent. A 21st-century Caravaggio? Who knows. But dude’s definitely on the right track. Celebrating his heroes while producing work that’s relevant to his period, Woods-Evans executes drips and fades in disaffected, casual gestures. Laurel wreaths and nuclear explosions are likely to meet in a single composition. If you’re near Brighton next month, check out his work at the Brighton Media Centre the 7th through the 16th. More images of the artist’s work after the jump.

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So, according to her Flickr page, Alena Beljakova is only 19 years old. Wow. That’s a pretty young age for someone capable of producing photos like these. Impressive. There’s a mysterious, cinematic quality to the Saint Petersburg photographer’s work, and I wasn’t exactly surprised to find that she’s a ruski. There must be something about Russia’s cold winters and massive, partially barren landscape that lends itself to art that is in touch with the dark intangibles of the world. Definitely gonna keep an eye on this one. (via)